1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of article dispensers and more specifically, to such dispensers designed for storing and ejecting articles of a solid nature such as capsules, pills and the like.
2. Prior Art
One type of article dispenser is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,636. Such dispenser shows a modified generally cylindrical roller with a U-shaped recess along most of the roller's length for delivering the article, and wherein the roller has a U-shaped support structure to receive the article. The roller is supported on a large area of the support structure and thus the total structured roller support and roller movement necessitates complex mechanization to effect the principal function of picking up an article and ejecting same.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,608 discloses a safety closure container wherein a sphere of two sections cooperating with each other results in a marking groove at the interface of the two sections, which groove is needed for alignment of movable components to effect the transfer of the article. The sphere has a depression for receiving the article. However, such sphere is mounted on a structure auxiliary to the vessel storing the article, and further mounted in such a way that the auxiliary structure cooperates with a substantial surface area of the sphere. The sphere has virtually an infinite number of degrees of freedom rotation along a plurality of axes in its auxiliary structure. Additionally, this art has protrusions near the sphere at an exit point of the article that prevent rotation of the sphere by contact of the sphere with a planar external surface upon exerting manual force upon the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,066 shows a hollow ball within an opening therein, the ball being retained in a support structure that permits its rotation in the support structure in a laterally infinite number of directions. The hollow ball retains the article and the opening is used to eject such article when such opening is aligned with certain structural members of the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,491 shows a sphere modified by an angular portion that is removed from the sphere. Such sphere is dually supported by a support plug at a lower surface of the sphere and by a hemispherical cap at the upper surface of the sphere, such supports making a multiple number of contact points with the various areas of the sphere and making the sphere capable of rotation in any of a multiple number of directions. The sphere has a depression for receiving the article and such depression has to be aligned manually with an opening in the hemispherical cap by pushing a tab that is integral with the sphere structure and which protrudes outward from the sphere through the cap. Such protrusion also acts as an impediment to delivery of the article by rolling the sphere in contact with an external planar surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,716,883 is addressed to a smoker's cabinet which utilizes a hand-operated cylinder suspended from the cabinet walls, the cylinder having a slot to receive a cigarette from a hopper located above the cylinder and delivers the cigarette from an ejection means below the cylinder by manually rotating the cylinder so that the slot is 180 degrees displaced from its initial cigarette-receiving position. This structure provides no external access to the cylinder and hence does not promote the ability to impell the cylinder by contact of its surface with an external planar surface when the cabinet is manually pushed. Even if access to the external planar surface were provided, such cylinder would damage the article when its body rolls thereover upon article ejection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,313 discloses an article dispenser having a sphere pivotally suspended from a vessel for rotation in only one direction about a singular first axis that is offset from a second axis, the second axis passing through the center of gravity of the sphere. The first axis lies in a plane that bisects the sphere into a pair of hemispheres where one of the hemispheres is heavier than the other hemisphere. The lighter hemisphere has a cavity overlying and adjacent the first axis and also adjacent to one of the pivotal suspension points. Pivotal suspension of the sphere requires a relatively high structure to support the pivot points thereby increasing the likelihood of interference with the dispensing operation. Furthermore, because there is no underlying support beneath the sphere within the vessel, the sphere can be jammed into the vessel thereby preventing improper operation of the dispenser. Furthermore, the sphere is relatively difficult to remove by the user, thus making it inconvenient to refill the bottle or vessel with pills. Difficulty may also be encountered in assembling the sphere to the vessel during the manufacturing of the dispenser.